[Archived] Rovers v. Charlton Athletic - Saturday 19th October - 3pm kick off.

[K-Hod]

That's terrible news about Evans if true.

There's something not quite right with Marshall for me-no idea what happened at Leicester, but his confidence looks shot to pieces.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Without Dunn and Rochina ,we are totally devoid of attacking ideas ..

Our only two players in the side with any creativity,they are still to return....there is a slight glimmer of hope.

Clutching at straws I know.

Still baffled by yesterday,where was the will to overcome a middling Charlton side?.Our players looked like they couldn't be bothered..perhaps our smashing away support should adopt the same mentality.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Without Dunn and Rochina ,we are totally devoid of attacking ideas ..

I think today , most people realised we are mid table fodder ,

Correct re Dunn and Rochina, the issue being though we knew what the situation could be for Dunn before the season started Yet we seemed to be going for more defensive options than attacking fluidity.

We have been a bit unfortunate with injuries but I still don't think people can see that is exactly what we are at present and still have delusions of the top 6 - all obvious at the start of the season and still the same and so much evidenced with the result yesterday against what people are saying was a poor Charlton side ( says it all about us really)

As Parson says , we don't have anybody who we can change things with and nobody on the pitch appears to want to grab the mantle and make things happen during the game.

The worrying factor of it all for me is the comments pre match from GB - training was supposed to have been intense and that we would be going about it in our usual ? high tempo.

The irony for me is that every time we seem to hear this 'intense training' (including from previous managers) the performance is always dire.

[Kamy100]

That's terrible news about Evans if true.

There's something not quite right with Marshall for me-no idea what happened at Leicester, but his confidence looks shot to pieces.

Agree, he shows some decent touches but his confidence looks completely shot.

[chaddyrovers]

My thoughts on the game is that we struggle to break down a Charlton team that look Solid and well drilled defensively and hard to break down or get any real good chances created.

Charlton goal was well taken by Church. But Dann was easy turned by Church and seem to be slow of the mark.

I thought Kilgallon was solid and much better than Dann was. maybe Kilgallon and Hanley as centre back partnership would be better?

King was marked out of the game by Charlton right back Wilson. Cairney had some good touches and passing but he need to change his boots to stop him keep falling over all the time. got annoying.

Best was awful and needs to stop complaining about being foul. sometimes he is lazy then other times he unplayable like Bournemouth away game.

I was pleased to Bowyer change his tactics during the second half and try something different with us going 4-2-3-1 formation which IMO allow us to gain possession of the ball and try to get in between Charlton defensive set up.

I would have like to see Bowyer gone Campbell and Rhodes up front with Marshall in Number 10 role and us take Kane off with Lowe going to play right wing back with us.

But at least Bowyer tried something tactical unless previous manager havent

We badly missed Corey Evans. I've heard on the grapevine that Evans is out for 3 months! Press release tomorrow. I really do hope my source has been misinformed!

we defo missed Evans. he has been excellent since coming in. great shame if he is out for 3 months

There's something not quite right with Marshall for me-no idea what happened at Leicester, but his confidence looks shot to pieces.

I think Marshall just need to built his confidence back up. maybe something has happened between the scenes with Him and Pearson at Leicester or something he is a good player IMO and I think I would play him in the number 10 role against Blackpool away game. played well there against Watford after coming on as a sub for last 30 mins or so.

I hope Bowyer changes formation against Blackpool and goes 4-2-3-1. think this suit us better IMO and I would play Williamson in centre mid with Lowe and Cairney right wing with King wide left and Marshall in the number 10 role behind Rhodes.

hopefully Dunn will be to be on the bench

[OJRovers]

Without Dunn and Rochina ,we are totally devoid of attacking ideas ..

I think today , most people realised we are mid table fodder ,

Mid table fodder with one of the most expensive squads in the league....

[T.J.Newton]

Mid table fodder with one of the most expensive squads in the league....

ans that's the problem!

I can accept being a mid table championship club, but in reality its just not financially sustainable with the high salaries we still have at the club and the salaries of some of those players are so ridiculously high that we couldn't/can't even get other clubs to take those players of our hands.

[Mike E]

Hope the players were made to warm down in that thunderstorm! Even after sleeping on it, I'm a bit @#/? off.

[cesus]

So far this season, and last we have proved we don't have the creativity and ability to pick ourselves up and get 3 points from a losing position (I appreciate the Barnsley game but that was against 10 men for 75 mins). When a team decides to tighten up with their lead, not allow King space to use his pace to beat full backs and when Dunn is inevitability injured we show that we don't really have a plan and to put it bluntly are so easy to play against.

There is a long way to go this season and we have an embarrassingly big squad which should be a strength, but I just think we lack quality within the squad. The thought of us having a transfer embargo placed on us because we have so many distinctly average players makes me so angry after such an enept performance. Too many Premiership wages for League 1 output!

[LDRover]

Watched the highlights of Watford Derby last night and was very impressed with Derby.

Looks like McClaren has them pressing high up the pitch and 2 of their 3 goals were as a direct result of this. I'd like to see us try this rather than rely on King's pace on the counter. We spend far too much time in our own half passing sideways and struggling to break disciplined sides down. It's time for us to force the issue, the number 5 was made to look like Bobby Moore yesterday such was the 'pressure' applied.

[roversfan99]

Bowyer needs to learn how to break teams down, Huddersfield were also the same and Bowyer seems to lack the tactical nous to make the correct changes.

Judge and Taylor should be ahead of Marshall in the pecking order, Marshall was very poor.

I really hope Evans isn't out for 2 months.

[Blue n White Rover]

People slating Best are pointing the finger at the wrong person. He was better than Rhodes. Rhodes was woeful yesterday and besides one shot, offered absolutely nothing.

Although Best was useless, he dropped deep to bring the midfield into play and was a lot more in the game than Rhodes.

[FGS5635]

People slating Best are pointing the finger at the wrong person. He was better than Rhodes. Rhodes was woeful yesterday and besides one shot, offered absolutely nothing.

Although Best was useless, he dropped deep to bring the midfield into play and was a lot more in the game than Rhodes.

Rhodes is a world class finisher but the harsh reality is he is an awful footballer. Games like yesterday where we struggle to break teams down he is useless. Its like playing with 10men. His lack of effort for headers and desire to try and hold the ball up is so frustrating. He never comes short to link up play. Tin hat on time but he really winds me at times, but he's the golden boy an free of criticism. Said it after the wigan game and will say it again, GB needs to grow the balls to take him off when he's offering nothing. Tough to break well drilled sides down when your #9 is invisible

[Stuart]

Weird that Rhodes always seems to get stick when we lose - especially when we don't score.

It's like the rest of the midfield don't have to contribute because "don't worry lads, everyone will blame Jordan for not having anything else to his game". In fact, "don't bother creating anything for him to get on the end of, he should create everything himself and be on the end of those chances".

Easy this football lark. Just pass it sideways and backwards all game and you are well in. Make one pointless, run into a dead end and you get man of the match. Being top scorer in the league counts for nothing.

An awful footballer? Really? Grief.

It's no wonder players have no loyalty to clubs or fans.

[FGS5635]

Weird that Rhodes always seems to get stick when we lose - especially when we don't score.

It's like the rest of the midfield don't have to contribute because "don't worry lads, everyone will blame Jordan for not having anything else to his game". In fact, "don't bother creating anything for him to get on the end of, he should create everything himself and be on the end of those chances".

Easy this football lark. Just pass it sideways and backwards all game and you are well in. Make one pointless, run into a dead end and you get man of the match. Being top scorer in the league counts for nothing.

An awful footballer? Really? Grief.

It's no wonder players have no loyalty to clubs or fans.

Everyone gets stick win or lose, its the way of the world. Rhodes shouldn't be immune from his share just coz he scores the goals

[Stuart]

Everyone gets stick win or lose, its the way of the world. Rhodes shouldn't be immune from his share just coz he scores the goals

My mistake. I must have missed the posts were you called Rhodes an "awful footballer" after those games he scored in.

Fickle.

But fear not. He won't be here much longer and we'll have Campbell and Forrester up front.

[FGS5635]

The team is built around him. We win he scores, it because he's god and we are lucky to have him. We lose and he plays awful and its everyone elses fault. Lowe, king marshall, kane all get grief and Rhodes halo continues to shine bright. He isn't immune from critiscm when he plays absolute bobbins like yesterday

[tomphil]

Don't know whether it's been mentioned but to be fair to Charlton they did score a cracking goal on the counter attack. Completely against the run of play of course

[Stuart]

We're clearly going to have to agree to disagree, FFS.

Oops I mean FGS.

[FGS5635]

Don't know whether it's been mentioned but to be fair to Charlton they did score a cracking goal on the counter attack. Completely against the run of play of course

Yeah that's true. He took it really well, though dann was very slow to turn and react

We're clearly going to have to agree to disagree, FFS.

Oops I mean FGS.

Deal

I'll calm down tomorrow and regret some posts no doubt, still mad about the game

[Stuart]

Don't know whether it's been mentioned but to be fair to Charlton they did score a cracking goal on the counter attack. Completely against the run of play of course

Cracking isn't the word I'd use. It was more surreal. Like two players knocking it about in Madam Tussaud's.

[Amo]

Rhodes is the league's highest goalscorer and it's difficult to justify dropping him when you're chasing the game and the slightest half-chance could count.

[arbitro]

I took a few snaps at the game and it's amazing looking at some of them how isolated Rhodes is - with a strike partner in theory - and on about 5 of the photos he's challenging for headers with five Charlton players in the shot, covering the entire half of he pitch, nearer to him than the nearest Rovers player 30 or 40 yards distant

One wonders what he'd be supposed to do if he was winning those long punts, balancing it on his head like a performing dolphin before someone catches up?

I wasn't going to post on this but you have hit the nail on the head. We could have had any player in the world up front yesterday and he would have struggled. Rhodes relies on decent service, it's as simple as that. And as the home side yesterday when we should be creating he was given zero, zilch, nothing. Our two worst players were the wide men who preferred to come inside and play an easy pass rather than running at defenders and attacking the space behind them. Nearly every time they got the ball they slowed our play down which made it so easy for Charlton to defend. I think the last time I saw Best play as a lone striker was at Watford last season when Rhodes went off. Arguably it was the laziest effort I could remember for a long time from a Rovers player.

[FGS5635]

Its to easy to say Rhodes relies on service and absolve him of all blame for the way the game unfolds. He has to do more at times imo. He isn't a small lad, so there is no excuse for how easy he gets knocked off the ball when attempting to hold it up.

[arbitro]

Its to easy to say Rhodes relies on service and absolve him of all blame for the way the game unfolds. He has to do more at times imo. He isn't a small lad, so there is no excuse for how easy he gets knocked off the ball when attempting to hold it up.

But is is an indisputable fact that given the service he will score. If you have a proven goalscorer surely you have to play to his strengths, particularly at home.

Yesterday most off the balls knocked up to him were chest/head high. Not sure how he can hold them kind of passes up to bring other players into play. Anyway I thought we played two up yesterday.